Chris Adamski stories, Page 96

Antoine Brooks Jr. has the utmost respect for Mike Hilton. So don’t misinterpret what Brooks said about his former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Wednesday. “Big shoes to fill — clown shoes,” Brooks said, clearly emphasizing the size of the figurative shoes Hilton vacated by signing as a free agent with the...

In his element perhaps like nowhere else, Mike Tomlin beamed in signaling the start of one of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp’s highlights: “Backs on backers.” “Chico!” Tomlin screamed from the middle of a gathering in the northwest corner of the Heinz Field playing surface early Wednesday afternoon. “Let’s go!” “Chico”...

As a big-play running back in college, Anthony McFarland sought to make a big splash during his first NFL season in 2020. Eleven games, 39 carries, 167 yards from scrimmage and no touchdowns later, humility isn’t the only lesson McFarland took from his first year with the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Patience,”...

The handful of Pittsburgh Steelers starters who’ve been limited so far during training camp for the most part continued to be so Wednesday. But a notable exception during the first padded practice was Devin Bush. The inside linebacker recovering from a torn ACL took part in a significant portion of...

If nothing else, Zach Gentry stands out at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. “He’s 6-(foot)-12,” Eric Ebron deadpanned. “And not a lot of people are 6-12.” Gentry is not quite 6-12, er, 7 feet tall. But at 6-8, the tight end is tied with tackle Zach Banner as the tallest offensive...

For the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first practice of training camp at Heinz Field, the man who has played more games there than anyone was not present. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not on hand at Monday’s workout. Coach Mike Tomlin said it was “for personal reasons.” “He’s been excused by me,” Tomlin...

There seemed to be no shortage of possible scenarios when it came to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ plans for replacing Mike Hilton. Four days into training camp, barring something unforeseen, the list of possibilities appears to have been whittled to two. “It’s a good battle. You have a veteran and a...

When it comes to T.J. Watt, the only thing that’s growing faster than his salary is his stature in the Pittsburgh Steelers locker room. On the field, Watt has established himself as a centerpiece of the franchise. With training camp for the 2021 season underway, it’s almost inarguable that Watt...

One of the biggest questions as the Pittsburgh Steelers ramped up to training camp was: Who will replace stalwart Mike Hilton as the slot/nickel cornerback? After the second practice of camp, coach Mike Tomlin laid out his plans. “Right now, we are working (Arthur Maulet) and (Antoine Brooks Jr.) there,”...

Two days after endorsing a condom brand on his verified Instagram account, JuJu Smith-Schuster was back at it Friday as a pitch man. In the star receiver’s first media availability of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, Smith-Schuster continued his sales job to his coaches to play on the outside in lieu...

Of the 90 players who opened 2021 training camp on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster, none earned the “physically unable to perform” tag. But that doesn’t mean everyone was going full-bore during Thursday’s first practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mike Tomlin confirmed that guard Kevin Dotson, defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt,...

Coach Mike Tomlin, true to form, downplayed it. And it’s true that what happens during the first practice of training camp doesn’t necessarily mean anything once the games count. But that Antoine Brooks Jr. was playing with the first-team defense provided the biggest clue yet of what the Pittsburgh Steelers’...

The clock has been ticking, in some capacity, for more than a year. But Thursday’s first practice of training camp figuratively means the countdown has started in earnest. Fifty-two days until the Pittsburgh Steelers’ regular season begins. Fifty-two days until the team-imposed deadline to ink a contract extension with superstar...

News that the NFL would force teams to forfeit games if one has a covid outbreak among its unvaccinated players sent ripples across league circles and on social media. But on the day Pittsburgh Steelers training camp opened, it was met with a figurative shrug. The Steelers are among the...

After a 48-hour reprieve off the roster, Calvin Bundage was back in time for the start of Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. The rookie linebacker from Oklahoma State was re-signed Thursday in a transaction that was announced 30 minutes before the start of the first practice session at UPMC Rooney Sports...

The Pittsburgh Steelers shored up one of the most shallow positions on their roster, and they did it with an accomplished name. Free-agent edge defender Melvin Ingram agreed to a one-year contract with the Steelers. Ingram adds depth to the Steelers’ outside linebackers corps that never truly was addressed after...

The Pittsburgh Steelers open 2021 training camp Thursday. Here’s a look at each of the specialists on the roster. SPECIALISTS 9 CHRIS BOSWELL · 6-2 · 185 Boswell’s poor 2018 appears to have been the aberration, as his production the past two seasons (48 for 51 on field goals, 62...

The Pittsburgh Steelers open 2021 training camp Thursday. Here’s a look at each of the offensive players on the roster. Quarterbacks 7 BEN ROETHLISBERGER · 6-5 · 240 An MVP candidate through Thanksgiving last season, Roethlisberger might have been one of the NFL’s worst QBs after that. At 39 and...

The Pittsburgh Steelers open 2021 training camp Thursday. Here’s a look at each of the defensive players on the roster. Defensive linemen 97 CAMERON HEYWARD · 6-5 · 295 Remember when Heyward was frustrated he couldn’t get national recognition? He made his first Pro Bowl in Year 7 and has...

The bleached-blonde, mulleted hair. The half-unbuttoned, flamingo-printed shirt he wore for the camera on draft day. The Southern, aw-shucks drawl. The preferred forename of “Bubba.” There’s plenty that immediately catches your eye about one of the highest-profile of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2021 draft picks. Bubba Chandler has all the appearances...

Former Pittsburgh Steelers fullback and special-teams standout Roosevelt Nix announced his retirement from football in a Tuesday social-media post. “To the Steelers and Steeler nation,” read a message on Nix’s verified Instagram page, “there is no other fan base or stadium I would have wanted to play in front of...

Four years after leading Latrobe to its first WPIAL and PIAA baseball championships, Zach Kokoska took the first step toward a professional career Monday when he was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 10th round of the MLB draft. The 290th overall pick, Kokoska was second-team all-Big 12 and...